Automobile clock



June 17; 1924. 1,497,922

F. LUX

AUTOMOBILE CLOCK Filed Sept. 18. 1923 A'ETORNEY Patented June 17, 192 5.

UNI ED STATE PATENT OFFICE- FREDERICK LUX, OE WATERBUBY, CONNECTICUT,A$$IGNOR TO LUX CLOCK MlkNU- FACTURILTG COMPANY OF \VATERBURY,CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION CON- NECTICUT.

AUTOMOBILE oLooK.

Application filed September 18, 1923. Serial No. 663,348.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I," FREDERICK LUX, a citizen of'the United States,"anda resident of Vaterburmcounty of New Haven, and State ofConnecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomobile Clocks, of which the followingds a specification.

This invention relates to automobile clocks, and more particularly to adevice for deta'chably supporting a clock casing on the dashboard ofanautomobile.

'On'e object of the invention is to provide a device of this naturehaving means for ositively holding the clock vertical on the dashboard,and for detachably looking it in position. Y

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature in which theclock cas- .ing is provided with a leaf spring adapted topress outwardlyto engage a locking key: way on a holding 'n embe'r, said spring beingadapted to be released by the manipulation of a knob locatedwithin'reach ofthe driver. A further object is to provide-a device ofthe above nature which will be s i1nple,cheap to manufacture, easy tomanipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient anddurable inus'e l \Vith these and other objects in view, there has beenillustrated on the accompanying drawing'o'ne form in which the inventionmay be conveniently embodied in practice. i

Fig. 1 is a front view of the clock casing and holder in assembledposition.

2 is a front perspective view of the holder in detached position.

-Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the clock casing showing themanner in which the resilient leaf spring is attached thereto.

4 is a sectional view taken through the dashboard and the center of theholder and showing the casing in operating position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of cam disk.

' Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 denotesa cylindrical casing adapted, to contain the clock movement. The'casing10 is provided with a front flange 11 surrounding the usual bezel anddial 12. The casing is provided at its rear with a substantially flatface 13 through which extend the usual setting, winding and regulatingdevices as shownj A slot 14 is cut in the periphery of the casingadjacent the face 13. An L-shaped'leafspring projects through the slot14 and has an outwardly extending resilient tongue 15. The portion ofthe leaf spring inside'of'the casing is provided with 'apairof ears 16adapted to be secured to the rear face 13 of the casing in any suitablemanner as by screws or rivets '17.

The casing 10 is adapted to fit within a holder having a substantiallycircular front flange 18, said flange being provided with screw holes 19adapted to receive screws 19?, by means of which the holder may besecured to the frontof the dash board. The holder is provided with anintegral cylindrical sleeve portion 20 within whichthe casing 10 isadapted to loosely The lower portion of the flange 18 is enlarged, andis adapted to form 'a bearing for a cam shaft 21, said shaft having aknurled knob 22 in front of said flange, and a cam disk 23 behind saidflange. A guidewa y 2a is formed in the sleeve 20 of the holder toreceive the resilient tongue 15 of the leaf spring and prevent thecasing 10 from rotation relative to the holder. The front edge 25 of theflange serves as a stop adapted to engage the end of the tongue 15 afterthe casing has been pushed into the holder as far as it will go. At thistime, the tongue 15 will press outwardly into the guideway behind theedge 25 of the flange, and will positively prevent the casing frommoving out of the holder.

" The cam disk 23 is provided on its periphery with a pair of circularsections 26, 27, between which is a flat segment 28; The cam disk isalso provided on its. opposite side with a slot 29 the ends of said slotbeing terminated by shoulders 30, 31. A pin 32 projecting from the rearof the flange 7 18'is adapted'to form a stop to engage said shoulders 30and 31 and thereby to limit the rotary movement of the cam in bothdirec; tions. The knob 22lies in front of the dashboard in a convenientposition for manipulation by the driver of the machine.

In operation, when it is desired to lock the clock casing in its holder,the casing will first be pushed in the holder as far as it will go. Theknob 22 will then be turnedin the direction opposite to the arrow shownin Fig. 1, as far as it will go, brmgmgthe fiat segment 28 intoengagement with the spring tongue 15, which will then be locked behindthe latch 25 of the holder flange 18.

When, however, it is desired to remove the clock casing from itsmounting, as for winding, setting, or regulating, the knob 22 will beturned in' the direction of the arrow shownin Fig. 1 as far as it willgo causing the cylindrical portion 27 of'the cam disk 23 to force theend of the tongue outwardly, whereby it will be lifted out of the keywayabove the edge 25fon the flange and will permit the' -casing to bereadily withdrawn f from its holder.

In the modified form'of canrdisk shown in Fig. 5, a segment 33 isprovided-which is only one half the thickness of the disk, theremainderof'the thickness at this point 7 comprising a circularsection34: of the same diameter as the circular sections'26 and 27.

'tion and resultant wear in the delicate mechanism of the'clockmovement.

Another advantage of the spring is that when engaged by the segments28or 33, it

will serve to prevent the cam disk from turning in/its socket. V

-VVhile there has been disclosed in this specification one form in whichthe inven- -tion may be'embodied, it is to be understood thatthis formis shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention isnot to be limited to the specific disclosure,

"but may be modified and embodied in various other forms withoutdeparting from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all themodifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the followingclaims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what isclaimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is Z 1. In a clockadapted to be located on the dashboard of a motorvehicle, a clock cas-.-

ing having a projecting spring attached thereto, a holder within whichsaid casing is adapted to fit, said holder having a guideway for saidspring, said spring serving to lock the casing within the holder and toprevent it from turning relative thereto.

2. In a clock adapted to be located on the dashboard of a motor vehicle,a clock cas-.

ing having a projecting spring attached thereto, a holder within whichsaid casing is adapted to fit, said holder having a guide way for saidspring, the endof said guideway serving as a latch for the end of saidspring, said spring serving tolock the ca's ing within the holder and toprevent it from turning relative thereto. J

3. In a clock for use in a motor vehicle, a clock casing, said casinghaving a spring projecting therefrom, a holder within which said casingis adapted to fit,.a seat in said holder for said projecting spring,andmeans for lifting said spring out of its seat to release the casingfrom the holder.

4. In a clock adapted to be attached to the dashboard of a motorvehicle, a clock casing containing a clock movement, an outwardlypressing leaf spring securedfto said casing,a holder adapted'to besecured to said dashboard within which said casing is adapted to fit,said holder having a keyway toreceive said leaf spring whereby saidcasing will be held against twisting in the holder and will bedetachably locked'against outward sliding movement 5. In a dashboard, aclock casing containing a clock movement, a leaf spring secured to theoutside of said casing, a holder adapted to be secured to said dashboardwithin which said casing is adapted to fit, said holder having a keywayto receive said leaf spring whereby said casing will .be held againsttwisting in the holder, and a'manually-operated cam on said holder-forengaging said spring to permit said casing to be withdrawn from saidholder.

6. In a dashboard, a clock casing containing a clock movement,'aleafspring secured to the outside of said casing,a holder adapted to besecured to said dashboard within which said casing is adapted to fit,said holder having a keyway to receive said leaf springwhereby said.casing will be held against twisting in the holder, a latch to preventit from sliding out of said holder, and a manually-operated cam on saidholder for engaging said springto permit said casing to be withdrawnfrom said holder.

'7. In a dashboard clock, a cylindrical clock casing having means forattachment to the dashboard, a holder for said casing having acylindrical sleeve within which said casing is adapted to fit, saidcasing having a leaf spring adjacent its side edge, a slot in saidsleeve for receiving said leaf spring to hold said casing from rotatingrelative to saidholder, means on said holder toengage the'end'of saidleaf spring to prevent the casing from sliding out of the hold er, andmanually-operated means for lifting said spring out of engagement withsaid spring-engaging means; I

8. In a dashboard clock, a clock casing, a holder for said casingadapted to besecured to the dashboard, and resilient means for lockingsaid casing in said holder against rotation therein, and a cam mountedin said holder for engaging said resilient means to permit the casing tobe removed from said holder, said cam being secured on a shaft mountedto rotate in said holder, the periphery of said cam having a slot, and apin on said holder adapted to form a stop for the extremities of saidslot, said shaft having a manually operated knob on its outer endlocated Within reach of the driver.

9. In a dashboard clock, a clock casing, a holder for said casingadapted to be secured to the dashboard and resilient means for Intestimony whereof, I have affixed my 25 signature to this specification.

FREDERICK LUX.

